Jeremiah 24

The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

The Lord showed me two baskets of figs by the temple after Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, took Jeconiah and other important people from Judah away as captives, including carpenters and blacksmiths, from Jerusalem to Babylon.

One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

One basket had delicious, ripe figs; the other basket had bad figs that couldn't be eaten.

Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Then God asked me, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" I replied, "Figs - the good ones are great, but the bad ones are terrible and inedible."

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Once more, God's message came to me, saying,

Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

So says the Lord, God of Israel: Just like these good figs, I will accept those taken captive from Judah. I sent them to the land of the Chaldeans for their own good.

For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

I will watch over them for their good and bring them back here. I will build them and not tear them down. I will plant them and not remove them.

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

I will help them understand who I am, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God. They will fully commit to me with all their hearts.

And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

And just like the bad figs that can't be eaten because they're so evil, this is what God says: I will also give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, his leaders, and the remaining people in Jerusalem, along with those living in Egypt, to a similar fate.

And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

I will take them to different countries on Earth, causing harm, so they are disgraced and mocked everywhere I send them.

And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

I will cause the sword, hunger, and disease to happen to them until they are gone from the land I gave to them and their ancestors.